Margaret Fisher

I have been President and CEO of an urban multi-college community college for 20 years. Prior to becoming president, I served in the highest senior-level instructional leadership roles in the 70,000 student college district. In addition to my role as an educator, I am an author, a former television personality, and an international speaker -- having served as the lead-in speaker for the internationally renowned Les Brown. My work has also included experience as a university professor and scholar, a high school teacher and a community organization specialist.  

Over the past 30 years, the primary focus of my scholarship has concentrated on urban education and the toolkit required to create the proper conditions for teaching and learning to occur as well as the institutional culture required for students to persist and complete. My most recent book which addresses the subject of Learning for Ownership, was launched at Rice University and featured in a Town hall Meeting in 2012. As a result, this body of work resulted in a Lifetime Achievement Award from the 18th Congressional District of the United States Congress. Similarly, my book on Dual Credit, published in 1996 opened the doors for more urban students to access postsecondary education and to change the paradigm in urban communities.  

Today, at colleges and universities throughout the country, student recruitment, retention and completion are real universal problems. I have a Plan of Action coupled with tools and resources from Gallup that will create the turnaround desired in student retention, completion and success.